Hello friends. In this week’s newsletter I’d like to bring to attention a country singer named Jelly Roll. The Holy Spirit grabs my attention every so often on famous celebrities so that I can pray and intercede for them.
When I first saw Jelly Roll singing on television, it was hard to go past the tattoos on his face. As I heard his songs in the car, I was captivated by his voice and song lyrics. This week in my morning quiet time, his one song surfaced. Here it is. It’s titled “Save Me”
After reading the song lyrics, I wanted to learn more about his backstory. Then I found this AI generated documentary about him created by one of his fans. It’s 30 minutes long.
As I was watching his upbringing and home life, I can see how someone in that environment would become a drug dealer and user. It starts with losing hope.
If you read the comments under the song “Save Me”, you’ll read how so many people can relate to the lyrics. It is hard for me to understand why people would become drug users and addicts. After watching Jelly Roll’s documentary and feeling the pain of this song, and reading people’s comments; all helped me to empathize and understand more.
In my opinion, human efforts and all the money thrown into addiction rehab and therapy are not enough to save lives. I’ve read study reports showing how dismally low their success rates are for rehab programs (it was about 10%) . But when you invite the power of Jesus Christ into a rehab program like Teen Challenge (Times Square Church founder, David Wilkerson started this addiction rehab program) then success rates are over 90%. Government agencies came into their program to study their work and they offered a lot of federal money on the condition that they make it secular. David Wilkerson laughed at them, and well, you could imagine what he said. He was a fiery and passionate preacher. If you want to get an idea, then hear his old sermons. (He passed the church leadership baton to Pastor Carter in 2001, and moved on to expand the Teen Challenge programs worldwide. He passed away in a highway car accident in 2011 at age 79. His son, Gary Wilkerson is in leadership today. They also changed their name to ‘World Challenge’ since they help more than teen addicts.)
https://sermons.tsc.nyc/speaker/david-wilkerson/
Here’s a more recent song called “Hard Fought Hallelujah” by Jelly Roll. It has beautiful lyrics. Please also read the comments. You’ll get to see how much Jelly Roll’s songs impacted so many people battling drugs, alcohol addictions, depression and suicidal ideation.
Perhaps Jelly Roll is going through something hard right now and being tempted to go back to drugs or alcohol for relief. I am interceding for him. I pray that he is surrounded by many good, godly Christian pastors and friends who truly care for him; and those who cling to him for his money and fame would be removed from his life. Please keep him and his family in your prayers.
Here’s a youth pastor from HungryGen church who is in the frontlines of ministering to the Gen Z’s. He is waking up the adults in his church about the youth who are desperate and starving for the supernatural power and presence of Jesus Christ in their lives. Please give him a listen. The former ways of reaching the youth or what worked for you in the 80s are not going to work against what the youth are facing today. Isn’t that why so many millennials left the church in droves? Are we using the same methods/programs that failed the millennials miserably on the Gen Z’s and Alpha’s? I hope and pray not.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hungrygen/id1181586855?i=1000769406708
Last Sunday was Pentecost Sunday. When my church pastor asked anyone who wanted more of the Holy Spirit to come to the front altar for prayer, I quickly went up. As I was in the front altar, receiving from the Holy Spirit, I felt like I was being repaired; and I kept hearing within “Mary has chosen the good thing” (see below for the Bible reference). There are times when we just receive. No praying and serving others. Just receive and be repaired. Whenever you feel depleted, please give yourself the time for repair and replenishment. I find receiving prayers is the most efficient and time-saving way to be repaired. Be okay to ask for prayer just for yourself. It’s not being selfish but smart, especially during a spiritual warfare season.
I just read an excellent article about Pentecost and the Holy Spirit. Knowledge is a powerful tool as well. That is why I study the Bible so much. https://www.oneforisrael.org/pentecost-the-promise-and-the-gift-of-the-holy-spirit/
I used to believe that following Jesus Christ means you’ll be “poor, prisoned, and miserable”. Because I believed that is the path to holiness. It’s clear to me now that it was a big fat lie of Satan. Yet that is what I believed. When one is deceived, one does not know. I realize now that it’s a messed up mindset that was created by a mixture of Confucianism, Buddhism, patriarchal values and entertainment lies. It gives me comfort to know that my wrestling will help other newbies coming into the church. I want them to be drawn to Jesus Christ and the teachings in the Bible by my life and speech.
I understand why Jebez prayed the way he prayed for himself (see below for Bible reference). Lately, I’ve been praying this way for myself in order to glorify Jesus Christ and to make Satan pay for the lies that imprisoned me for so long. I have been asking God to make me “prosperous, free and joyful“. Why? Because it’s the opposite of “poor, prisoned, and miserable“.
By the way, having loads of money is not for Gucci bags, etc but to fund God’s programs on earth. There are just so many programs that need our money. Especially in human trafficking – awareness, survivor restoration, prosecution of criminals and abusers etc. God continues to give me a great burden for the many needs on earth that need funding and support. And now God is adding another burden to me – to help fund addiction rehab programs such as World Challenge.
Yesterday when I did math on my donations in the past 15 years, I saw that my donation amount went up 900%. This morning I prayed that my donations will go up another 900% in 15 years. When I calculated the see the total amount, I gulped. That’s a lot of money! I best pray for my husband’s business to prosper immensely and that he will be more open to funding Christian charities. Because I don’t see enough success rates in secular drug rehab programs. I have no desire to waste our money on programs that don’t work.
For those of you who appreciate smart, successful academics who stand up for their faith in higher education – please check out these two academics (John Lennox is a Oxford mathematics professor emeritus, and Michael Guillen is a former Harvard physics professor who also has three degrees from Cornell). Here are their recent works for God: https://www.christianitytoday.com/podcasts/the-russell-moore-show/john-lennox-on-what-he-knows-at-82/
https://cbn.com/news/us/atheist-scientist-embraces-faith-receives-powerful-message-god
I’ve been serving in prayer ministry for ten years now. I know that it is spiritual work that God has asked me to do. Sometimes it’s hard because the needs are overwhelming and my faith in prayer feels so puny and inadequate. No matter what kind of work you do for God – paid or not paid, secular or in church, physical or spiritual; I think burnout is a possible danger. Please listen to Carey Nieuwhof on his experience with catastrophic burnout. He is a type A, super driven, go-getter. He shares openly about his burnout so that others can see the warning signs of a burnout and prevent disaster. I had no idea that burnout could be that serious. This is excellent for everyone, especially Gen X immigrants like many of us are.
That’s about it for this week’s newsletter. With much prayer and in the love of Jesus Christ 🙏❤️
38 Now while they were on their way, Jesus entered a village [called Bethany], and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who seated herself at the Lord’s feet and was continually listening to His teaching. 40 But Martha was very busy and distracted with all of her serving responsibilities; and she approached Him and said, “Lord, is it of no concern to You that my sister has left me to do the serving alone? Tell her to help me and do her part.” 41 But the Lord replied to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered and anxious about so many things;42 but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part [that which is to her advantage], which will not be taken away from her.” – Luke 10:38-42 (AMP)
And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested. – 1 Chronicles 4:10 (NKJV)
Journal of Faith 